Gorman, Palo Verde take top spots in Sun’s preseason football rankings

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Monday, June 28, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Here's how good the Bishop Gorman High football team is expected to be in the fall: You could put the top players from each of the Las Vegas Valley's 30-plus large-school division teams on the same squad, and they'd still lose to the defending state champion Gaels by three touchdowns.

Yes, Gorman is that loaded.

Despite having to replace eight from last year's team who received Division-I scholarships, Gorman isn't lacking talent and is the clear-cut favorite to win the state title.

The Gaels, ranked No. 23 nationally by Maxpreps.com in its preseason poll, are an obvious choice for the top-spot in the Sun's preseason ranking.

The other nine teams weren't as obvious.

The Sun's Ray Brewer, who has been covering high school football in Nevada since 1996, ranked the teams. He'll update the rankings each week during the season, which starts in late August.

1. Gorman — Defensive end Jalen Grimble, who in May committed to USC, will lead a Gorman defense that again will overwhelm the opposition. But he's far from the Gaels' only weapon. Offensively, coach Tony Sanchez says the Gaels already are ahead of where they were last year when they led the nation with 798 points. Gorman returns four of five starting offensive linemen, which means junior tailback Shaquille Powell (1,500 yards and 29 touchdowns last year) is an early candidate to lead the area in rushing. Also, sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon widely is considered the city's top passer.

2. Palo Verde — Palo Verde will have the best player on the field each Friday night with senior running back Brandon Wright, a speedster with several major Division I scholarship offers who rushed for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall.

3. Liberty — Some might argue this slot is too high for Liberty, a school with only one winning season in its seven-year history. But the Patriots will physically dominate on Friday nights, especially with one of the biggest offensive lines in town. Defensive end Sam Tai, who already had scholarship offers from the likes of UNLV, San Diego State and Idaho, received an offer from Colorado last week.

4. Las Vegas High — A shocking loss to Foothill in last year's Sunrise quarterfinals halted the Wildcats' streak of six straight Sunrise Regional crowns. Despite the setback, LVHS still is the most feared team in the region. It also has three of the valley's best athletes in wide receiver Marquan Major, quarterback Hassan Henderson and running back Farrell Victor. Still, Las Vegas might be one year away from winning the state title — Henderson and Victor are both juniors.

5. Legacy — Legacy has to replace several key performers from last year's Northwest Division championship team. But in a program with several talented athletes, the Longhorns will find themselves in the thick of the league race again. Legacy's defense surrendered fewer than 10 points in eight games last year — it'll duplicate the effort this fall.

6. Silverado — Silverado has been predictable on offense the last two years in failing to reach the playoffs. But with new coordinator Randall Cunningham (the former NFL and UNLV great) calling plays, the 'Hawks appear to be headed in the right direction. Speedy defensive back Ladale Jackson already has multiple scholarship offers.

7. Canyon Springs — Canyon Springs arguably has the most young talent in Southern Nevada, returning several underclassmen from last year's squad that went 7-3 and took second in the Northeast Division. Don't be surprised if coach Hunkie Cooper has the Pioneers atop the league standings.

8. Del Sol — Del Sol will have to replace several key contributors from last year's team, which won the Sunrise Regional title. But it has one of the valley's top quarterbacks in senior Troy Miller, and junior tailback Chris Marshall already has a year of experience under his belt.

9. Durango — Don't let his size fool you. Julio Mora, the Trailblazers' 5-foot-7, 170-pound tailback, is a difference-maker and one of the valley's best running backs. He'll lead Durango to a second-place finish in the Southwest Division (behind Gorman).

10. Faith Lutheran — The Crusaders will have the area's most lethal passing game with quarterback Joe Portaro and wide receiver Don Pearson. But will that be enough to compensate for a lack of depth, especially on the line?